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10 INDEP
The Modi government has begun its second innings. Here’s looking at the key ministers — co
HOME AFFAIRS FINANCE

Victorious, the The rise and rise

BJP’s charioteer of Nirmala
arrives Home Sitharaman
Vibha Sharma in new delhi of the Finance Ministry. The other person to hold
KV Prasad in new delhi vice-president of the state BJP. In 1997, he contested the post was the late Indira Gandhi, who held it as

I
the polls from Sarkhej near Ahmedabad and soon T is a strange coincidence that an alumnus an additional charge.

T
HERE is a distinct connect between Gand-
hinagar and the North Block office of the
Union Home Minister in
the BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance
(NDA) Government. After a gap of
The BJP
15 years, a Member of Parliament juggernaut has
from the constituency is once
again occupying the teak wood become
panelled room in the majestic
building on Raisina Hill. unstoppable under
Amit Anil Chandra Shah, Home
Minister in Modi Government 2.0, strategist and key
is the current MP from Gandhina-
gar. He had succeeded Lal Krishna
planner Amit
Advani in the constituency and
now follows the veteran into the
Shah. In his new
office demitted by him in 2004. The
two have been associated since
role as Home
1989 when Shah was managing Minister, which
Advani’s election campaign from
Ahmedabad. way will he steer
Ever since BJP Chief Amit Shah
filed his nomination for the Lok the country?
Sabha polls, speculation was rife
that he would be a prominent face
in the Modi Cabinet. His name had
been making the rounds after the results came out
on May 23. On Friday, Modi handed him the reins of
the Home Ministry, one of the four key ministries on
Raisina Hill, whose occupants go on to become part
of the all-important Cabinet Committee of Security.
That also puts an end to the party chief’s dilemma
— to either strengthen PM Modi’s government and
move away from the party or continue building the
organisation he has nurtured across the last five
years. It is he who has helped the BJP gain a pan-
India presence. Today, the NDA has formed govern-
ments in 17 states and the BJP has 373 Members of
Parliament — 303 in the Lok Sabha and 70 in the
Rajya Sabha.
In Delhi, Shah’s political craft was noticed after his
strategy as the party in-charge in Uttar Pradesh got
the BJP a stupendous haul of 71 out of 80 seats in the
2014 Lok Sabha polls. Within a short span of time,
the RSS worker from Gujarat found himself
catapulted into the office of the presi-
dent of the BJP. The rest, as the say-
ing goes, is history.
The Modi-Shah duo became
synonymous with converting the
BJP into a party that kept win-
ning elections with amazing
regularity and the juggernaut
became unstoppable, as was
proved in the just concluded
Lok Sabha polls. Born into an
affluent Gujarati family on
October 22, 1964, Shah grew up
in his paternal village of
Maansa until 16, shifting to
Ahmedabad for higher educa-
tion that ended with college.
Attracted to the RSS, a young
Shah worked for the Akhil
Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
before joining the BJP in 1984-
85. He steadily rose up the
ranks in the organisation and
held various posts, including the
national treasurer of the
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and
later secretary and
plunged into strengthening the party. He was re-
elected successfully by improved margins for a total
of five terms until his elevation to
the national politics.
Realising that cooperative insti-
tutions controlled by the Congress
in Gujarat were crucial, Shah went
about the task of re-organising and
successfully wresting control and
winning elections of cooperative
banks, milk dairies and agricultur-
al market committees. This helped
consolidate the BJP’s influence in
rural and semi-rural areas. The
party recognised his effort and
named him convener of the Coop-
erative Committee.
In 2002, Shah was re-elected by a
record margin of more than 1.5
lakh votes and CM Modi drafted
him as a Minister of Home, Trans-
port and Prohibition, which was
expanded to include Parliamen-
tary Affairs, Law and Excise in the
subsequent term. This tenure saw
Shah facing charges in a fake
encounter case leading to impris-
onment. The court later asked him to stay away from
the state for two years. However, the case collapsed
with the court absolving him of the charges and, in
2012, he was re-elected from a newly carved
Narayanpura Assembly segment.
While Shah is known as a plain-speaking politician
who does not mince words, he is very much a person
who remains a family man and a doting grandfather.
While his family stays in Ahmedabad, he makes it a
point to touch base with them at least once a day,
especially with his granddaughter, perhaps a stress-
buster for this 24x7 politician. Called modern-day
Chankaya, some attributes of this great planner
and strategist, who executes his plans to perfec-
tion, can be ascribed to his favourite game of chess.
As chairman of the State Chess Association,
Gujarat, he introduced the game in government
schools on a pilot basis. Cricket is anoth-
er sport that Shah is engaged
in; he has also served on
the Gujarat Cricket
Board in various
capacities. A new
field is now set.
from the Left-leaning Jawaharlal Nehru Uni-
versity is occupying the high chair in the most
powerful gathering of India,
the Cabinet Committee of
Security, in a government led by
the “Hindutva, Right- wing party”,
Economic
the BJP. Nirmala Sitharaman slowdown, dipping
started out as a Minister of State
(Commerce) in the previous NDA exports, mounting
government, rose to be the
Defence Minister. On Friday, she non-performing
was announced to be India’s first
full-time woman Finance Minister. loans, joblessness,
JNU’s Left-leaning student lead-
ers like Kanhaiya Kumar gave the
farm distress,
saffron party its ‘tukde-tukde’ poll
plank around which it successfully
Sitharaman takes
weaved the national security narra-
tive for 2019, once again riding to
over at a time
the Lok Sabha with a thumping when India is
majority. And not just her, another
member of the exclusive CCS, passing through its
External Affairs Minister S Jais-
hankar, is also from the JNU. toughest phase
After graduation in economics
from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy
College in Tiruchirapalli, Sithara-
man did her Masters in Economics and MPhil in
textile industry and Indo-European trade from
JNU, where she was also a member of the Free
Thinkers, a forum that discussed politics of both
the Right and the Left wing. It is here she met her
future husband, Parakala Prabhakar, from Andhra
Pradesh, whose father had served as a minister
several times from the Congress.
Sitharaman, a politician who has seen a meteoric
rise in the recent times, has stepped into the shoes
of her mentor, former Finance Minister Arun Jait-
ley for the second time. Prior to this, she had tak-
en over from Jaitley, who was then filling for his
colleague, late Manohar Parrikar, the Defence Min-
ister, in September 2017. And in this she has
earned herself the distinction of becoming only the
second woman to hold the reins
Those who have worked with Sitharaman in what
is perceived as “a male bastion”, say she is “quick
in grasping matters” and a “good
adaptor”. Despite the complexi-
ties of the protocol-ridden
Defence Ministry, she is said to
have done a “fair job”, taking
some important decisions with
regard to high-value procure-
ments and Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi’s pet project, ‘Make in
India’, while stridently defend-
ing him on the Rafale jet deal, the
Opposition Congress’ chief poll
plank in the run-up to the
LS elections.
Occupying the chair that some
of India’s stalwarts — like Jawa-
har Lal Nehru, VK Krishna
Menon, Pranab Mukherjee,
Indira Gandhi and George Fer-
nandes have held — she is rated
as a “sharp, no-nonsense and
hard-working person who did
her best in a ministry riddled
with deep issues”.
Interestingly, Sitharaman was
almost written off after she failed to get the Lok
Sabha ticket in 2014 while Meenakshi Lekhi, her
counterpart on the BJP spokespersons’ list, had
managed one. However, she was handpicked by
Modi as the MoS, Commerce and Finance, and
brought in via the Rajya Sabha largely on the basis
of her credentials as an articulate English-speak-
ing BJP spokesperson, her non-controversial back-
ground, her strident defence of the party, backed
by impeccable knowledge on a range of subjects,
her southern origins and, most importantly, her
understanding of the protocol in the “new BJP” as
it was emerging then. She is a “perfect example of
a good person in politics,” say her associates.
Sitharaman joins the Finance Ministry at a time
when India is passing through its toughest phase
— economic slowdown, dipping exports, mounting
non-performing loans, joblessness, farm dis-
tress... As the FM, she will be occupy-
ing the chair once graced by
many of India’s former PMs,
including top economist
Manmohan Singh. Her
background in econom-
ics will help, but it is a
tough challenge
ahead for her and
her deputy, Anurag
Thakur, in the two
ministries —
Finance and Cor-
porate Affairs —
they have been
assigned.
India’s econo-
my is beginning
to sputter on the
back of consump-
tion and private
investment slow-
down. Fixing this
and jumpstarting the
economy would be her
top priority, followed by
putting the banking and
NBFC sectors in order along
with addressing agricultural
distress — and all this without dis-
turbing the fiscal position of the gov-
ernment. Mentor Jaitley is expected to
guide the duo.
It is difficult to say what are her plans,
but, this is what she had told us back then
when she first took over as the Commerce
Minister in 2014: “India is a very strong
market. The Indian consumer — rich,
middle-class, poor — has the pur-
chasing power. It may be somewhat
depressed because of the poor eco-
nomic situation, but day-to-day
bare essentials also make a very
big market. We cannot undermine
the size of this market by allow-
ing everyone to come and do
anything they want, this is one
side. The other side is that this
market is a big power in our
hands. We have to liberate it in
a way that India’s manufac-
turers get the first right to
serve this market. Later, they
can go out and sell as much as
they want. Investment is
required for making the market
more refined and productive. We
will ensure that investments are
brought in, but without damaging the
Indian market.”

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PTH 123
CHANDIGARH | SUNDAY | 2 JUNE 2019 11
omprising new and old faces — and the issues and challenges before the PM’s trusted team
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DEFENCE

A career diplomat Bringing in strategic

gets to rework political weight
diplomacy to the Forces
Sandeep Dikshit in new delhi this coercion was the installation of a Communist Ajay Banerjee in new delhi another six lakh rifles.
government in Kathmandu that quickly signed on to The “strategic partnership” model announced

I F
T was a balmy evening in Beijing when a group
of Indian journalists were invited to the Indian
embassy. S Jaishankar was then the resident
envoy and invariably ques-
tions veered towards India’s
huge deficit with China that had
become a major eyesore in its eco-
From China,
nomic story (the deficit has since Pakistan, Russia
risen by more than ~1.5 crore). “If
business was so easy, all of you to the USA and
would have come here in your per-
sonal planes,” retorted Jaishankar. Iran, a plate full
This streak of realism has been
a constant trait in the Jaishankar of challenges lie
family. His father K Subrah-
manyam emerged as one of the
ahead for former
country’s top strategic thinkers
in the post-Nehru era. Going
Foreign Secretary
against the grain, Subrah- and ambassador
manyam was early to spot the
challenges of China’s growing S Jaishankar, who
nationalism and was an
unabashed votary of the nuclear is known to work
bomb as well as closer ties with
the US, arguing that in post-1991 out of the box
world of just one superpower, a
closer relationship with Washing-
ton was necessary for the con-
tainment of China as well as permit the emergence
of India as a world power.
For Jaishankar, the lineage can be both a blessing
and a bother. Rather unfairly, he was dubbed “Mr
America” by his batchmates for the unabashed pro-
motion of intimate Indo-US ties by the circle of
columnists, academics and journalists considered
close to him and his father. That he fell short in
transforming Sino-India economic ties as India’s
longest serving ambassador in Beijing, they say,
showed his inclination to play the containment
game against China rather than shovel a path for
enduring cooperation. When he was the Foreign Sec-
retary, his preference for a “Hard State” approach
was reflected in an unannounced economic block-
ade on tiny Nepal that depends on India for most of
its trade. His critics point out that the end game of
China’s One Belt One Road project. OR Rajnath Singh, the number two last year will form the core of Make in India ini-
However, not all blame needs be laid on Jais- man in the Narendra Modi government, tiative. On this hinges the production of new
hankar’s door. As a mere ambassador or Foreign Sec- the Ministry of Defence will be compar- submarines, helicopters and fighter jets. The
retary, there is a limit on an individ- atively a ‘quieter cor- submarine action plan
ual’s capability to make a ner’ in the powerful announced in 1999 is running
turnaround in international affairs.
In a government that will be run on
South Block located atop the
Raisina Hill, the seat of the
Rajnath Singh, who decades behind schedule.
The three forces, collectively,
the presumption of complete meet- government. Under that is known to take a need some 800 helicopters.
ing of minds and the certainty about ‘quietness’ is a stark reality; The request for information —
the end goals at the apex level — PM each of Rajnath’s decisions rounded view the first step to acquire equip-
Modi, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval, Raj- and spoken words will be scru- ment — has been sent out for
nath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman tinised in global capitals, of matters, will 234 helicopters for the Navy.
— Jaishankar, as one of the Cabinet
ministers, will have no cause to com-
including Moscow, Washing-
ton, Tokyo, Beijing and Islam- have to decide on The production of 197 Kamov
226-T copters, to be made
plaint about inter-ministry inertia or
competing political compulsions, as
abad. The Indian military
establishment sits on a cusp of
restructuring the under the Indo-Russian joint
venture for the IAF and the
has happened in the past.
As Foreign Secretary and with the
change and as New Delhi finds
its place in the global order, its
1.3 million-strong Army, is yet to commence.
Some 400 fighter jets are
complete backing of the Modi-Doval military moves and alliances Indian Army, as needed to be produced over
duo, Jaishankar had worked out of are being watched closely. the next 10 years for the IAF.
the box. Working around the disad- Though separated by just a also induction of These include 284 Tejas of var-
vantage of making postings only by road from the Home Ministry, ious variants and 114 fighter
seniority, he had plucked diplomats where Rajnath Singh was the critical military jets for which the MoD has
whom he thought had the right apti- boss for five years, the invited global bidders.
tude and placed them in crucial Defence Ministry will be dif- equipment Artillery guns have started
positions. When he was succeeded ferent ball game — the armed coming in. The numbers, how-
as Foreign Secretary by Vijay forces function in a manner in ever, need to be ramped up
Gokhale, many of them were revert- which no other entity does in quickly. The Army’s Field
ed. Now back as Gokhale’s boss, his deep familiari- the country. Artillery Rationalisation Plan, drawn up in
ty with the men and women of the diplomatic corps For this politician from Uttar Pradesh, who 1999 for acquiring 2,800 guns by 2027, too, is
could mean an uncalled for dual control over the for- still observes the ‘old world’ political niceties, years behind schedule.
eign services. As a line diplomat, he, more than most maintaining delicate civil-military relations The delivery of 145 ultra-light Howitzers from
of his predecessors as Foreign Ministers, knows will be important. More than 20 lakh retired BAE systems has begun. The delivery of 100
where the shoe actually pinches because of the soldiers will scrutinise each move as they tracked self-propelled ‘K-9 Vajra’ guns pro-
shortage of personnel in the foreign services. The remain ‘connected’ to their parent organisa- duced locally has also begun, as has the deliv-
first challenge for Jaishankar will be to keep the tions — the Army, the IAF and the Navy. ery for the Dhanush Artillery systems. The
motivation high while making lateral inductions and The new Defence Minister will be first ‘num- projects in the pipeline relate to 1,580 towed
placing right persons for the right jobs in a notori- ber two’ in the Cabinet to occupy the chair guns, 814 truck-mounted guns, 180 wheeled
ously hide-bound bureaucratic structure. since Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister self-propelled guns. The MoD will need to
Every Foreign Minister has his plate full of chal- (May 2004-October 2006). This will naturally speed up the gun-making process.
lenges. Jaishankar is no exception. China, Pak- bring in the political weight to the ministry Another crucial decision the new minister
istan, Russia, the US, Iran, all need his attention. that gets to spend some 13 per cent of the needs to decide on will be the restructuring of
There are problems in ties with all of these. The country’s budget. the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army that is aim-
expectation from Jaishankar is higher. From Known to take a rounded view of matters ing to cut down many of its British era wings
defence to foreign affairs, all ministries have been instead of rushing into hasty decisions, Raj- and recast its war-fighting
shortchanged on the issue of structural reforms for nath Singh, fits the bill in the MoD, that ability by having a
over a decade. This has left them unable to cope rarely responds with ‘statements’ new concept called
with the challenges of the future. either on operations or interna- the integrated
For this, Jaishankar needs a full complement tional issues, but lets the battle groups.
of human resources at his disposal and armed forces show their
complete backing in accomplishing the might as and when needed.
end goals. For instance, India’s gener- His working style of
ous assistance in the neighbourhood allowing every depart-
has to be effective and faster. Should ment under him the
there be an autonomous body like freedom to work will
USAID or more sharper focus within be of help in the MoD,
the ministry itself? which also has nine
India’s maritime forays bring no public sector units
economic dividend. Is it time to — all profit mak-
look at the deep sea marine ing — under it.
economy to balance the Not known to
books? India’s IT exports make many
story is now two decades old public state-
and stagnating. ments, Raj-
How can India integrate itself nath Singh as
into the global production Defence Min-
change without giving up its ister, officially
opposition to China’s OBOR? called Raksha
Can major arms sellers Mantri, or RM,
be kept happy will not see the
while India tries usual hyper-active
to localise some quote-seeking media
of their produc- that dots the Home
tion? In the end, Ministry where the
success is all minister is expected to
about economics. react to issues
A firm approach or across the
an unyielding tem- country.
perament can only There are
bring temporary divi- many chal-
dends such as ending lenges he faces. As a
the dispute with China new minister, Rajnath’s deci-
over stapled visas. sions, especially those on the
Jaishankar had nev- induction of critical military
er taken to Twitter till equipment, will define the
this Saturday unlike level of military readiness
his predecessor who for India in the coming
had utilised the social years. Many projects
with aplomb. However, are at various
his style will be quiet, stages. Decision is
unhurried and meticu- pending on six new
lous. But as he well submarines, 400
knows, India cannot fighter jets for the
leverage the size of its Indian Air Force, 57 jets
population to clamber on for the Navy, 800 helicopters for
the global stage. The the Army, Navy and IAF, new
changeover from being a warships and unmanned aerial
“balancer” to a “leading pow- platforms.
er” entails developing ade- The manufacturing process for
quate economic muscle. Jais- getting new AK 203 rifles has start-
hankar has his task cut out for ed with a rifle factory having been
him: finding more external avenues set up in collaboration with the
for India’s growth more than tam- Russians. It needs to speed up
ing recalcitrant neighbours and production. The armed forces
a trapeze act between the alone need some eight lakh pieces
superpowers. and the Central police forces need

ILLUSTRATIONS: SANDEEP JOSHI

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